Speed-changing mechanism for graphophones.



1E'. I-. MURDO'GK. sPEBD HANGING MEGHANISM PoR GRAPHOPHONES.

APPLICATION PILBD JAILZE, 1909.

987,459'. `Patented oct-.19,19o9.

A2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

By l

Jqfl'orney.

` T Enjsrarns PATENT, OFFICE a FREDERICK" n.7 Muninociz, or -sYLRA'oU-sn, :inw YonnQ/'f To all it may concern:

" lBeit known that llt`nnnnnicn MUR- nooig, a ,citizen'of the United; States, residing at'Syracuse, in the countyof Onondaga` and Stateo New York; have invented certain v.new and useful Inriprovements in lSpeed- A Changing Mechanism fonGraphophones, of

the following is a specification.

. This Ainvention relates to improvements in Speed changing mechanism for graphophones, and .has-'for its object to'provide, an addit-lonal attachment, ror Inechanism, by

means ot ,which both thel o ldand, the new machilies may be readilyjadaptedv to playwhat` .is commonly called .thes'tandanl two minute record, andalso a new four nnnu'terecord p which has but recently been produced.

Heretofore ,the Columbia, Edison and other talking machines have been constructed` geared` topplay the standard two minute cylindrical records. These records are all aboit:h the same length, and have a certain v't'h r ,,ading, andthe driving and feed mechanisln'gare. arranged 95 to rotate the record, and lcarry the reprodncingparts alongand play veach record in` about two minutes. `Most of Vthe :machines in `existence 'at the ,present time, so far -as known, fare, built and geared forplayingthe two minute records. The records produced by the different manufac tuners being, for the most part, threaded the s ameya're interchangeable. Recently a. new

recordhas been brought out for use, on the phonographs ,and this record is more compact, and more finelyy threaded, and requires five minutes lto play' the same, which is about double thev length andtime required. to lplay the'old record. Owing` to the fineness of the threading, .the long records cannot be reproducedby themechainisms which are constructedv togplay .the shorter.y and.v ycoarser records. l I

M It is afparticulanobject .of this invention 'to provide the necessary attachments or '45 parts, bymeans of'which the speed o i-the old reproducing mechanism may be propy erly j reduced, andthe. feeding fof said,` parts Y read-justed, so as to:adapt` the graphophones f for' playing'the new .style offreeord, thesame of.V :talllri'ngl .machines are:

iii-he present fii'rventioniconsists .of a.. jre-duc-i .tion gearing comprising a larve and agsma'll-` pilley, wlii'cliare` operatively connected by a belt,- the smaller pulley being mounted on the-old record driving pulleyp thdarger `ing lever. In it-he siecieatiowf Letfrsan. Btentd '()fg (19, J1909, Application meld-.January 25,1909,=` Serial no. 473.963.

" i pulley beingr mounted upon the shaft Icarries the soundbox and other reproducing` parts.

The invention further consists 'ofav` simple;

clutch mechanism and cooperating parts, by

means of which; the machine may be adj'usted and set inv a ready-manner for playal ling either the long or the short records with* out requiring4 any alteration of the machine. A f- L The invention further Vconsists-ofl adjust-1 ably arrangingtwo reproducing needles, one I coarse and the other line, by means Qtf'which eitherl of the said' 'records may be "played without requiring `the removal-or replacing'wv flo of the needles or any of the reproducing.

parts.V

The. tures and combinations ofparts'set ortnin the detail description whichfollows,- refer-- invention -further consists of thefeaand in which-- .l U

Figure 1 is a side elevatlon of a'graph()-l pho'n'e, showing ,the dispositionand.arrangeV f f ment of the principal partsof my improv'e'- l ment.; also showing portions'of the old and the new records. Fig. 2' is'a front endv ele-y vation of the machine. Fig,v 3 is a;"sectional .85 view substantially on' line SQ-Sfof Figi? 2.*

Fig. 4E is a sectional yiew. substantially onv line of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional View substantially on line, -iFig 13; 'f Fig? 6 is a detail view of the largejaui'iliary pulley'.y

Figg is an enlargedi'view ofzthefclutch key.v

Fig. Sis an enlarged detail 4yiewfof thefpl'ate which holds the large pulley in place: andi also cooperates with the clutchl ikey. Fim.' is an enlarged detail View 'of"the"need e"sup pivotally connected, and disposed in rest po thefine needle in engagement with the vnew record,- the vsame being `shiftedand held in such position I,by reyersing ,ofoperat' 95 port, showing the coarseft'ili'flcl`fine` I'i'eedles shaft'f, ythe latter being journaled "innthe body 3, on the Aopposite end of which iS mounted a tapering cylinder 6 which carries ythe records. Pulley 4 is driven by a belt 7 which .passes downwardlyI into the case and connects with the motor or other source of power. Ina cavity in the front of body 2 is disposed a spur gear 9, which is also mounted on the shaft 5, and meshes with the idler gearlO mounted on a shaft 11 l supported by the body 2L', Gear 10 meshes with a third gear 12 which is mounted upon 4'What is called the amber shaft 13; the

latter shaft being extensible, as shown in Fig. 1, the inner endsupporting certain of the reproducing parts. The idler gear 10 also meshes with a fourth, gear 14 which 's mounted upon a feed shaft 15,*which supports .and carries the sound box, needles,

horn and other parts.

On all of the old graphophones, so far as.

known to me, the outer end of shaft 5 is threaded and projects `beyond the record pulley 4, to which a nu't., not shown) is, lapplied and employed for 'holding the inner hub of pulley-4 tightly against gear 9, and

by this means .the said gear is rotated with said pulley and shaft. ln the-old machines the nut referred to, is always maintained in its tightened position, except when the machine is being taken apart. In the present invention the old nut referred to is removed from shaft 5 and other parts substituted, which will now be described. A sleeve pulley 18' is rigidly secured to the hub 17 of pulley 4 by a pin 16,' which latter also secures the pulley 4 to shaft 5. Pulley 18 is bored out to uniform diameter to receive the body of a lcylindrical thumb-nut 19, whichl in. tight, the machine will operate normally as heretofore. screwed away from the hub of pulley 4 (see Fig. 3), the tension between pulley4 and gear 9 is relaxed .sufiiciently to allow shaft 5to turn freely in said gear. Under thisarrangement gears 9, 10, 12 and 14 will remain stationary, unless. otherwise driven, while pulley 4 and shaft 5 may be rotated independently by the belt 7.

To further carry out the object of the present invention, I ,provide a large pulley 21 which is mounted upon an extension 22 of the shaft 15. The extension 22' is connected to shaft 415 by means of a tennon 23 andl a pin 24. The outerend of the extension 22 is slightly reduced to form a-journal to receive pulley 21. At one side ofthe journal of shaft 22, a semi-circular slot or groove 25 is cut', which extends inwardly a short distance beyond the inner face of pulley 21. At one side of the bore of pulley 21 a similar slot 26 is formed, and these two slots when brought into register form a c'ircular key-way or opening to receive an adjustable clutch ypin or key 27, which is provided at its outer end with-a handle or knob 29. Key 27 is notched or cut-away at 30, and this notch has a length equal to the thickness of pulley 21, and a depth substantially one-half the diameter of the key. Under this construction when clutch key 27 is disposed, as shown in full lines in Fig. 4, pulley 21 may be rotated on shaft 22 us an idler. When, however, key 27 is di-.iwn out e wardly to the position shown by dolled lilies in Fig. 4, the inner end of the key will be drawn into the pulley, and owing rrr-thc arrangement of the waysor grooves if.) and 26, key 27 will then affect the dri` ingy of shaft 15-22 when pulley 21 is o,

31 which is perforated centrally to rect-ive a screw 32, which is threaded into the end of shaft 22. Cap 31 is notched at one side, as lit 33, to receive the clutch key 27.

' 34 represents a notch cut in the under side of key 27, which is employed in connection with cap 31 for limiting the longitudinal movement of ,the key', as shown in Figs. 4 and 7. The bottom of the notch in plate 31 being cut at right angles to its sides, and the underside of key 27 being rendered flat by the notch .34, serves to. prevent the key from being rotated, and limits the same to longitudinal movement only, to the extent of the length of notch 34. Under this arrangement the clutch key is normally held, with relation to the pulley 21, in the positions shown in If ig. 4.- Pulley 21 is driven by a belt 35 which connects said pulley with the small pulley 18. Pulley 18 having a` much smal er diameter as` compared. With pulley 21, a series of pointed saikes are placed atintervals in the circum erence of the small pulley, iii-order to prevent the belt from slipping. By this latter provision pulley 21 will be rotated in a positivemanner, and through its connection'witli pulley 18, the large pulley will always be driven in the same direction as the old pulley 4 as indicated by the darts in Fig. 2. This construction is necessary in order that the renord operating and the feed mechanism for the reproducing parts may be o erated in the same direction at all times as eretofore, whether the old two minute records with their coarse threading.whichrequires rapid feeding be played, or whether the four minute records with their finer threading .and which require slower feeding are being played.

36 represents the usual sound box, which erated. APulley 21 is held in place by a cap o. plate' samba is provided with a "rearwardly extending hub 37 to which the'horn` (not shown) may be attached. The sound boX vis "mounted upon the shaft. 15, and is carried-along on said shaft Wh'enth'e machine islin' operation.,

and playing by the well known mechanism. The sound box lis adjustable by hand in either direction along a lever 38.

39 represents an extension of the shaft 12 p which supports an amber' wheel 40 forming a part of the reproducing parts, audits outer end is lit-ted with an adjustable weight 41I 42 illustrates a portionA of anlfold two minute record .mounted in operative position uponthe cylinder 6 and having a coarse or rapid threading,as shown in'Figfl. I 43 illustrates a part of the new7 fourfminutc record referred to, also mounted upon cylinder` 6, upon which is shown a fine lor slow threading, as compa-redwith the' old A record 42. In practice the record `43 iszfprovided with about double the number' 'of threads as theold'record. y v A 44 representsan adjustable support Yfor/the reproducing needles 45 and 46. -The part- 44 is pivotally mounted in the mach-ine by' means of a perforation 47 formed in its rear endp'Needle 45 is the coarser of the4 two, and is the same as employed on-the old style graphophones for playing the two minutefrecord.l vThis needle is provided with a longv shank'whichis pivoted at 49 to a bar ,50, `-the upper end of which engages the amber wheel in the usual manner. Needle 46`is liner than the' old needle, and is constructed expressly for the more' `finely threaded fourvv minute record'. The needles for 'the different sized records 4cannot be used interchangeably. Needle 46 is pivotally joined to the side-of needle 45 at 51, and is capable of being tilted to different positions, as shown in` Figs. 9 and 10 by means of a lever 52, which -is pi'voted topa hanger 53 mounted on t-he'edge of support 44. Lever 452 is Vprovided with a crank-likerod 54the inner end of which engages a slot 55 formed in the innerend of needle-46. The arrangement of thelever Aand its crank are such that. when the lever is thrown forward the two needles are brought together, in line with each other, as shown in Fig. 9, at.which time the coarse needle 45 may be lowered so as to engage the o'ld record 42,. and at' thesame time the finer needle "46 will be heldV out of engagement with'I said record.. When I p new record 43,is tobe played, the operator should reverse lever. 52 to the ,position shown 1n Fig. 10, ,at -whichlftilnfecrank 54 willtilt needle 46. and throw its point downwardly" below ythe` pointcf needle 45', in position to' engage the finely threaded record 43, as, shown igs.l ll and l0.. Under this con',-

stIuCt-ion Aand arrangementf'either .the long or short record maybe played, andtheA saidshaft by means ol;

'needles'may be adjusted'in a'mom'entls time.

by' sixrlplyl 'shifting lever52 'as described.

.To operate a graphephone having my provement applied,for the purpose of pla f r ing `thenew long record, the operator shou d first unscrew'thumb-nut -19,.'-so 'as-tol breakthe driving'connection between pulley4'adgear-9. 'By this means the belt l7 whichcomfmunicates thepower from the .motor'to i pulley 4 for driving the entire 'machine through the several gears, lwill Qperate vonly pulley 4 and shaft 5 directly.

should next pull out the clutch key to the position shown by dotted linesin Fig. :4, so

as to Vconnect pulley 21 to shaft 22-forl driv ing the same, lthrough belt 35, andf-sleeve pulley-18, which is carriedbyv the pulley 4.

Under this arran enent and adJustnient pulley .21, through its connection withshaft I .15 andgear14, becomes 4the direct driver -for gear 14 and also for the other gears, instead'- operate-the machine lfor plaiying the threaded four minute recor the record as well as that ofthe reproducing v .parts must be reduced approximatelyoneof pulley 4 and gear. 9. In orderto pro erl`y` the speed of half, because the threding ofthe newi 'record is about twice as'ne as the old recordLf The slowing up of the record'and the feed driving 'mechanism is accomplished .by the Vrelative difference between the diameters of i thev pulleys 18 and 21.l 'lochange a machine -f back to the condition for playing the `old two f minute record', which. requires the same speed for thev record but double the speed-,for the' reproducing parts,'the-operatorshould'shift f the clutch keyto the position shown by full lines in Fig; 4, and then screwn in thumb-nut 19 until it'forces and holds pulley 4 tightly against gear' 9. Under this adjustment,A

.pulley 4 becomes Athe-driverv again` for all of. the gears,` and *pulley'21 rotates idly upon shaft 22.

It will be seen from the foregoing'. description when read in connection 'with the drawings, that my. speed changing. `mechanism` may be readily. applied to the Columbia graphophones -as they are constructed and' operated at the present time, as` well 'as to l l 'new machines of the class,` and that the new attachmenu` while rendering the machine interferes with t-he carrying out `of the original and popular functions of thedevices.

Having .thus described m'y inventiomwhat more valuable and serviceable, finno way`r l Columbia and Edison records, 'of ra reduction gearing comprising a small, 'and a large pulley connected with the'record and l iso the re reducingy mechanisms respectively,

y the said pulleys capable ofadapting said machine for playing a long record, the difference in the diameters of said pulleys being sufficient to reduce the speed of the reproducing mechanism, while the long record is .being played, While the speedof the record operating mechanism remainsnormal, a belt to connect said pulleys, a clutch carried by one of said pulleys adapted for making or breaking the operative connection between said pulley andsaid feeding mechanism, and means cooperating with -said clutch for adjusting the speed of the said mechanisms for vplaying, either a long or a standardl record. 2. lThe combination with a graphophone geared 4for playing so-called standard two minute records, of a reduction gearing operatively connected with said machine, com- Veo prising a pair of pulleys of unequal diameters, capable of adapting said machine for playing fcur minute records, the difference in the diameters of said pulleys being suficient to reduce the speed of the' feed mech- In a graphophene, the combination with a record and an operating mechanism therefor, and a reproducing needle and a feed mechanism therefor, the said mechanisms being normally geared for playing the standard two minute records, of a pair of pulleys of unequal size, one .carried by said record operating mechanism7 the 'dt-'her carried by said feed mechanism, the

relativevdifcrence in the size of said pulleys being suiiicient to effect the reducing of the speed of travel of the needle approximate-ly one-half, thereby to adapt said machine for playing a four minute record, a belt t o operatively connect said pulleys, a train of gears to connect the said mechanisms, mieans for driving said train of gears directly by the power which operates the record, and

:means for 'driving said train of gears indirectly through said pulleys and said belt, for-playing the four minute record.

4. In .a graphophone, the combination with a record and an operating mechanism therefor,` and a reproducing needle and a' feed mechanism therefor, the said 'mechanism being normally geared for playing standard L two minute records, of a pan' 'of pulleys of ur'iequalf size, one carried by said record operating mechanism, the other carried by said feed mechanism, the relative difference in the size of said pulleys being suiiicient to reduce the speed of travel of the needle approximately one-half, there-- by to adapt said machine for playing a four.

.arranged'so that the smaller drives the larger pulley, thereby to reduce the normal speed of the reproducing partsa belt to operatively connect said pulleys, a clutch to control the operative connection between the"large pulley and the reproducing parts, and means coperating with said clutch for changing the speed of the reproducing parts from normal to a lower speed and vice versa.

6. A speed changing attachment for graphophones, comprising a pair of pulleys of unequal diameter operatively connected by a belt, one of said pulleys carried by the record operating parts, the other pulley carried by the reproducing parts of the machine, the said pulleys being arranged so that the smaller drives the larger thereby to reduce the normal lspeed of the reproducing parts, a clutch carried by the larger pulley adapted to control the operative connection between said pulley and the reproducing parts, and means for changing the speed of the reproducing parts from normal to a lower speed 4and viceversa.

7 A graphophone having a shaft adapted fonearrying records of diiferent length, and a shaft for carrying and feeding the reproducing parts, and having a train of gears connecting the said shafts, one of said gears mounted loosely on the record shaft, and one of said gears mounted rigidly on the feeding shaft, an extension rigidly mounted on one end of said feeding shaft, a pulley for driving said record shaft, a source of power, a beltconnecting said source of power with aid record pulley, a reduction gea/ring comprising a small pulley rigidly secured to said record pulley, and a large pulley journaled on the extension of said feeding shaft,"'a nutmounted on the end of said record shaft adapted for frictionally connectin said record pulleyy with the gear carrie by said shaft, for the purpose of driving said train of gears at a given speed when the machine is I-playinga short record, the said nut also adapted for breaking theudrivin connection pu e between s'aid recor of gears, and-a clutch key carried by theel:--

yan

tension o f said feeding shaft, adapted for rigidly connecting said large pulley to said shaft, for` the purpose of drivmg said train of gears at a reduced speed whenthe machine is playing a long'record, the said clutch capable of being operated for releasing said large lp'ulleyand allowingv the same to frop tate idly upon said feeding shaft.

8. A graphophone having a record bear in and operatin shaft, and a pulley for driving said. sha ,and having a;train of gears or operatingthe reproductior'i parts, one of said gears being mounted upon:I the jecord shaft,'and a second gear being mounted upon a feeding shaft, in combination with a source of power operatively connected with,

' saidrecord pulley, of a reduction gearing comprising av small pulley rigidly attached .to said record pulley, and a large pulley journaled on said feeding shaft,'a beltjto operatively connect said. large and said small.

pulley, a thumb-nut mounted in the record shaft within said small pulley and capable of forcing and holding said record pulley tightly against the gear carried by said shaft, for driving said train of gears at a certain speed for playing a short record, said nut capable of being unscrewed for the purpose of ,breaking the driving connectionbetween the record pulley and said train of `wears, and a clutch carried by saldlarge puey, to connect said Vpulley with the feeding shaft,fthereby to drive said train of gears at a lower speed for playing a long record,'

when said thumb-nut is unscrewed, thesaid clutch also adapted to disconnect said large pulley from the feeding shaft for allowing the same to rotateidly on said shaft, during the interval in whichthe record pulley'may y 'i said train .atin

adapted said parts, thereby toadapt the machine forv playlnor four instead of two minute records. 1().A speed reducing mechanism for graphophones, comprisinga' large and a small pulley operatively connected by a belt, one of said pulleys rigidly connected to a moving member of the machine positively driven by the power employed for operating the" machine, the said member being always operated in the same direction at the same speed, the other pulley being adjustably connected to a feed shaft, employed for supporting and feeding the reproducing parts Y of the machine, by means of an extension to said shaft, a clutch adapted for connecting the last named pulley to said shaft in a manner to effect the positive driving of said shaft at a lower speed than when operated by said moving member, the said clutch bei arranged to permit said pulley to rotate idly u )on said shaft, for the purpose .of allowing 't ie machine to operate at its normal speed, and a'nut adapted to coperate with said clutch for ei'ectlng t-he change/of the speed of the machine.

In testimony whereof I affix my. signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK F. MURDOCK. Witnesses: A

. WM. C. ANDERSON,

HARRY WALLACE. 

